High-speed turbine



`l'une 30, 1953 H. T. HoLzwARTH HIGH-SPEED TURBINE Filed Jan. 9, 1950 LUM@ 14W? n7ro Az 'ver Patented June 30, 1953 UNITED PATENT OFFICE :643,852L` HIGH-'SPEED TURBINE.

Hamill; Holzwarth, Westfield, N. J., assignor toA thlnited, StatesafAmerica asgrepltesentedf by;Y thaSecretary of the Air Force ApnlctinJanary-), 1950, Serial NU. 137561' This .invention rentes. to. ensue fluid. turbines;

and particularly -to turbinesrof;v that type-injwhich the high temperature level of.` the driving fluidi indicates the use of ceramicmaterial for allparts between buckets whichzconnes theluidflow al..

Another object. is to so design.; the severalceramic parts thatone will.. supportthenext to 'the end that no undesirable stressesiwill be set up in; the parts by boltingorV clamping them intoposition.

n Other objects` 'and advantages willi appear asA the invention is describ'edin detail', reference being had to the drawings, wherein.

Fig. 1 is an axial half section taken at. l--I of:` Eig. 2 through a turbine: built in: accordance with my invention.

Fig, 2 is a transverse section taken. at 2.-'-2 of Fig', 1.

Eig; 3 is a fragmentary developed. view. taken unan arc 3--3 of Figi around thecenter of the shaft showingA the development of' several of 1 theYV buckets ofthewheeLseveral of the shroudi segmentsY and several of the nozzles.

Like reference charactersL lreferto like 'parts' throughoutthe several `views;

, Referring; to. the axial section Fig.. `1', a sta--V tionarycylindricalhousingv l ll, preferably; of high-- hea-t resisting steel, has coaxiallysupported therein bybearings (not shown) a rotatable shaft I2.

Shaft I2- carries two -identical wheel discsY llkandv the two inner,` or. rotatable sealing :gland memb ers-y I6 and; I6. A'. spline* 20Y prevents relative 1otation,-between thel shaft Il and parts. |14, I5', arndf L6 while an external@internal 'thread' 2l!v serves, by -rptationcf ther-Dart; l'lf, to press the .as-

2 sembledv turbinev wheel partsv against the shaftY shoulder 24. thereby maintainingV correct spaced' relation of the several parts.

Concentrically positioned in the housing l0 are two diaphragms-and 2.6 around .the central openings of which are formed the outeror nonrotatable sealing gland parts 28 and 28 which areV complementary tothe inner or rotatable sealing gland parts IvanclV 16'; A gland casali! con- 11 taining sealing rings 30S is heidi in place and held against rotation by gland nut 32 threadedon the hub of the part 2-8" of: thediaphragm 26.

Two identicalV diaphrag'ms 34 areconcentrically positioned in the housing I0. A nut 36 threadedly engages the housing lf at' 38` thereby to clamp diaphragme 26, 26' and both diaphragms 34' against the shoulder 401111 the housing. Keys (not shown) may be provided in the housing andY the diaphragme to prevent relative rotation between the diaphragms andv the housing. Each diaphragm 34 has a central opening tc-wh-ich are fitted identicalv shroud segments 4'2f circumferentially spaced apart around the inner periphery'of the opening leaving spaces: 43 therebetween. Each shroud segment 42. has an outwardlyY ex-Y tending lug 44 through which a -screw dii-extendsinto a threaded opening in theV diaphragm v34' to hold the shroud segments .inpl'ace Each diaphragm 34.. has an integral hub 48 extending laterally at its` inner periphery, theA outer radius of the shroud segments 42 being iit-l ted tightly up tothe bore of thehub andextending all theway through the bore of. the diaphragm 34 including the-bore ofthe integral'hub 48'.

-If the materia-1 from` which the Wheeldiscs-are I made is such that it can be machined', thewheel buckets 5i) may-be formed with an end mill of a diameter equal to the width ofythe iioor of the buckets, theendzrnilibeing sunk 'to such a depth.- thatV the; floor of the f buckets are vsemicircular 'as seen in- Fig. 3, the axis A o/ftherend millbeingin a pla-ne which is parallel with the: plane of the verticalcenter line; l--I4 ofFig'. 2 but-.inclined at anangle Bl with respect., to the vertical line C of Fig. 1, which makes theiioor-of a. buckethigher at the discharge sidethan at lthe-receiving side whereby: spillage of fluid over the dischargesideis retarded-.

TheV innerV surface of*` the, shroud' segments. 42 are arcs of circles,v and are fitted as` closely as practicable to the, outside of the bucket Wheels. I4. The ends ofthe shroud segments which cover the buckets su areY angled v:n.52 maitresse@ in Fig.y 3. An arm` 561s provided'tO-houseth'e nozalev slots 58, 'the part 5.81 off a nozzle rbeing formed in the edge of the hub 48 of the diaphragm 34 and the part 60 being formed in the edge of the shroud segment. lIn the embodiment of the invention herein shown, the nozzle slots are so cut Vthat if the forward edge of any bucket is placed to coincide with the vertical line I-l as seen in Fig. 2, the bottom of a nozzle slot and the bottom of the next bucket will be coplanar.

In operation the pressure iiuid enters through openings 62 in the diaphragm 26 into the inlet ring 6e :and through the nozzles 58, 60 into the buckets 50 of the first wheel I4, through buckets 50 and out through spaces 43 between shroud segments 112, then through openings B6 in the second diaphragm 2B into the second inlet ring 68 and through the second set of nozzles 58, 6B and buckets 50 and spaces 43 to the discharge side of the turbine.

While in the illustrative embodiment of the invention herein disclosed I show a two-stage turbine, it will of course be understood that the design is adaptable to a single stage or a greater number of stages as conditions warrant, and while the design shown is particularly adaptable to the use of ceramic material for the parts which come into contact with the operating fluid, where operating conditions are less severe the same parts may be made of steel or other appropriate metal.

For convenience the drawings show twice as many buckets as there are nozzle slots, but this proportion need not necessarily be maintained, since one less or one more bucket than shown may be desirable to better distribute the impulses.

Having described an embodiment of my invention, I claim:

An elastic fluid turbine comprising a housing, a shaft centrally disposed in said housing, a bucket wheel of ceramic material fast on said shaft for rotation therewith, buckets formed in said ceramic on said bucket wheel, an axiallytransverse section through said buckets midway ci their axial width being in the form of ratchet teeth and the bottoms of said buckets being semicircular in plan view, a ceramic diaphragm having inlet openings enclosing the inlet end of said housing, a second ceramic diaphragm axially spaced from the iirst leaving an inlet ring therebetween, shroud means of ceramic material overlying said buckets carried at the inner periphery of said second ceramic diaphragm constructed for confining the elastic fluid to the buckets, and tangential nozzles formed in said shroud means forming a connecting passage from the inlet ring to the buckets at the extreme forward edge of said buckets.

2. An elastic fluid turbine comprising a housing, a shaft centrally disposed in said housing, a bucket wheel of ceramic material fast on said shaft for rotation therewith, buckets formed in said ceramic on said bucket wheel, an axially transverse section through said buckets midway of their axial width being in the form of ratchet teeth and the bottoms of said buckets being semicircular in plan view, a ceramic diaphragm having inlet openings enclosing the inlet end oi said housing, a second ceramic diaphragm axially spaced from the first leaving a ringlike fluid inlet space therebetween, a hub carried by one of said ceramic diaphragms filling the space between the two said ceramic diaphragms, shroud means of ceramic material carried at the inner periphery of said second ceramic diaphragm overlying said buckets and constructed for conning the elastic fluid to the` buckets, and tangential nozzles formed in the side of said hub forming a connecting passage from the inlet ring to the buckets at the extreme forward edge of said buckets.

3. An elastic fluid turbine comprising a cylindrical housing, a shaft centrally disposed for rotation in said housing, a ceramic bucket wheel fast on said shaft for rotation therewith, buckets formed on said ceramicbucket wheel, an axiallytransverse section through said buckets midway of their axial width being in the form of ratchet teeth and the bottoms of said buckets being semicircular in plan view, a ceramic diaphragm having uid inlet openings enclosing the inlet end of said housing, a second ceramic diaphragm axially spaced from the rst leaving a fluid inlet ring therebetween, a hub carried by said second ceramic diaphragmrspanning the space between the two said diaphragms, shroud segments at the inner periphery of said second ceramic diaphragm overlying said buckets and shaped to confine the elastic fluid to the buckets, and tangential nozzles formed in the end of said hub and said segments forming a connecting passage from the inlet ring to the buckets at the extreme forward edge of said buckets.

4. The device defined in claim 3 wherein the buckets are deeper at the inlet end than at the discharge end.

5. An elastic fluid turbine comprising a cylindrical housing, a shaft centrally disposed and arranged in said housing for rotation therein, a ceramic bucket wheel fast on said shaft for rotation therewith, buckets so formed on the outer periphery oi' said bucket wheel that a section taken on a plane normal to the axis of the wheel through said buckets midway of their axial measurement will be in the form of ratchet teeth and the bottoms of said buckets will be semicircular in plan view, a ceramic diaphragm having inlet openings enclosing the inlet end of said cylindrical housing, a second ceramic diaphragm axially spaced from the rst leaving a fluid inlet ring therebetween, an integral hub around the inner periphery of the second ceramic diaphragm extending to and being in contact with the rst ceramic diaphragm, shroud means carried at the inner periphery of said second ceramic diaphragm and said hub constructed and arranged for coniining the elastic fluid to the buckets, and tangential nozzles formed in the ends of said hub and said segments forming a connecting passage from the inlet ring to the buckets at the extreme forward edge of said buckets.

6. An elastic fluid turbine comprising a cylindrical housing, a shaft concentrically disposed and arranged in said housing for rotation therein, a ceramic bucket :wheel with integral buckets fast on said shaft for rotation therewith, the buckets being semicircular in plan and formed like ratchet teeth in a central transverse cross section, and tilted with respect to the axis of the wheel so that the floor of the bucket is at a greater distance from the wheel axis at the discharge end than at the inlet end, a ceramic diaphragm having inlet openings enclosing the inlet end of said cylindrical housing, a second ceramic diaphragm axially spaced from the first leaving a fluid inlet ring therebetween, an integral hub around the inner periphery of the second ceramic diaphragm extending to and being in contact with the rst ceramic diaphragm, shroud means carried at the inner periphery of said second ceramic diaphragm and said hub constructed and arranged for confining the elastic uid to the buckets, and tangential nozzles 6 formed in the ends of said hub and said segments Number Name Date forming a connecting passage from the inlet 1,047,918 Collier Dec. 24, 1912 ring to the buckets at the extreme forward edge 2,308,233 Schutte Jan. 12, 1943 of said buckets. 2,334,249 Carlson Nov. 16, 1943 HANS T. I-IO-LZWARTH. 5 FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited in the file of this patent Number Country` Date UNITED STATES PATENTS l 9,417 Great Br1ta1n y 1904 Number Name Date T OTHER REFERENCES 800,684 schneider oct. 3,1905 10 American Inventor, Aprii 1906, V01. 15, No. 4, 802,122 Sunderland Oct. 17, 1905 page 101. Published at 114 Liberty St., New York, 821,051 Moore May 22, 1906 New York. (A copy is in Division 9 of the U. S.

911,577 Dake Feb. 9, 1909 Patent Oice.) 

